Beauty & the Beast
Part VII

A/N: I sincerely apologize for the extended wait. Please excuse the mistakes and enjoy!

Kol paused from his pacing in his dark bedroom, tilting his head. A large group of humans seemed to be making their way up the path to the castle from what he could hear with his enhanced senses.

Glee filled him at the thought of the pending bloodshed. Humans from the village were not allowed on Castle Black grounds, per the agreement made five hundred odd years ago. The blood lust would help ease the emptiness he'd constantly felt since Bonnie refused to see him.

But first, he would see that his lovely witch stayed safe inside her chambers.

Bonnie Bennett was nowhere to be found. Kol searched her chambers, her working space, the dining hall, the kitchen, and even her herb garden by the barn. He scented the air, finding nothing as well. He flashed through the castle, slinging open doors and shouting for her.

Nothing.

He flashed to the roof, hoping to locate her scent or maybe see her fleeing form. All he saw was the smoke and glow from the villager's torches at the castle gates. Ice cold panic gripped his heart. Where could she be? "Bonnie!" he howled, cursing the night sky.

An idea occurred to him… and his eyes slanted to the village in the distance, where her grandmother lived.

His siblings could handle the mob, he had something more important to find.

Caroline found Rebekah and Elijah in the courtyard. They stood in front of the massive castle gates, watching the wood vibrate as the villagers took a crudely made battery ram to it.

"Just open it already!" Rebekah was saying to her brother. "The protection spells are tied to the gates, if they break, we'll be like beacons to our enemies."

"Why have you left the safety of the castle?" Elijah turned to her, asking. Rebekah glared from beside him.

"I know these people." Caroline began, "I beg you not to hurt them."

"They have broken the treaty by coming here." He replied. "I do not wish for bloodshed but I cannot let them in."

"They mean to do us harm." Rebekah snapped. "Listen closely, and you'll hear your peoples' true intention."

Caroline focused on her hearing, finding too many noises to separate, but one did stand out about all; "KILL THE BEAST!" She gasped. Were they here to kill Klaus on her behalf? Would they kill all of them, including her once they realized she was a monster too?

"Rebekah is right." Caroline announced. The other blonde arched a brow, and looked mildly pleased. "Open the gates, let me try to talk to them."

"And if that fails?" Elijah questioned.

The baby vampire pursed her lips. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Katerina grinned as she watched the mob at Castle Black's wooden gates. It was all too easy.

A wet nosed nudged her hand, and she steeled herself from flinching. A gray werewolf looked at her expectantly, it's intelligent eyes asking a question. "Soon, Alpha. As soon as you help me kill the Beast, I'll help you find a cure for your pack's curse, as we agreed."

The werewolf huffed and sat back on its haunches, joining her in wait.

They decided it would be better for Caroline to greet the villagers alone, so Rebekah and Elijah began pulling the heavy chains that would slowly open the gates, watching from the shadows.

Caroline smoothed her hair, and tried to plaster on a pleasing smile. Inside, she was panicking, everything that she loved was on the line. The heavy gates began to creak open, and she heard the villagers exclaim in surprise. When it was wide enough for Caroline to see the people on the other side, she was met with the piercing blue eyes of Damon Salvatore. Alone, he stepped through as soon as it was wide enough. The other villagers paused on the other side.

"Caroline?!"

"Damon! You must stop this and return!"

He frowned, advancing on her. "Where is the Beast?" he demanded.

"Stop! Go back! I am fine, there is no need to rescue me, Damon!"

Damon stopped, glaring at her. "Elena is gone, Caroline. The Beast took her."

Caroline paled, her heart stuttering. "Gone? What do you mean gone?!"

"Kidnapped! By your husband!"

"I don't understand…" Caroline told him, "Elena isn't here."

"I saw him do it." Another voice joined them, and Caroline knew exactly who it belonged to; her mother. Liz joined Damon. "I'm sorry, dear, I saw it with my own eyes."

Caroline shook her head. "No. No. He's been here with me the whole time." But he hadn't, he'd left her soon after he'd met beautiful Elena for the first time. Old insecurities began to whisper in her mind; it's never me… Elena is more beautiful… no one sees past her…

Had everything been a lie?

"Where is the Beast?" Damon demanded again.

Caroline met his desperate gaze with determination. "I'll never tell you."

Damon glanced at Liz, then back at her. His lip curled with a sneer. "Then you're of no use to me." He struck before she realized what happened, Damon used the butt of his crossbow and cracked her on the head.

She stumbled, and fell to the ground, her mother's stricken face the last sight before darkness took her.

From the darkness of the forest, Katerina watched the villagers storm the castle gates. "Now!" she commanded, "It's time!"

After her allies left to begin their attack, she picked up the motionless woman from the forest floor, and put her over her shoulder. Klaus' new bitch of a wife would have to go too, and she would make sure she witnessed the death of her best friend first.

Caroline came to a few minutes later, she woken groggily among chaos. Elijah was deflecting arrows from Damon, and Stefan's sword strikes at the same time, while Rebekah had Jeremy's neck bared for her deadly bite.

"No!" she screamed, flashing to Rebekah, and shoving her into the hay cart near the entryway. It burst and splintered, but thankfully Caroline heard a groan from the other woman. Rebekah would definitely make her pay for that later.

Just as she tensed to flash to Elijah, a harrowing scream broke through the incoming mob. "Werewolves!" someone screamed.

Fear filled her heart as she remembered the deadly creatures, and she saw that a werewolf pack had followed the mob inside the courtyard. She knew Klaus wouldn't be here to save her this time. Another villager screamed as they were attacked by the deadly supernatural animals, and Caroline knew she had to save them

"Elijah! Werewolves at the gates!" She called, then flashed through the mob of her village people. She grabbed the man who was being dragged back out of the gates, a kind shop keeper who let her sample the new sweets from time to time, and shook him free.

"Thank you!" he sobbed, as she led him back into the group of terrified villagers. "T-thank you so much."

She handed him to two more men she knew. Boys she had grown up with, Tyler and Matthew. "Stay back!" she commanded, and turned to confront the werewolves again. For the first time since becoming a vampire, she was grateful for this new power. She would protect the people she loved, in any way possible.

A giant gray werewolf was inches from her, its deadly fangs bared and dripping. "I know you." she told it. "Didn't my husband tear some of your pack mates in half?"

The werewolf growled, and suddenly lunged for her throat.

Caroline's sweet, petal soft lips upon his face, and her gentle, reverent voice in his ear; "I love you… forgive me… always and forever, my love…"

Golden glowing eyes snapped open, just as black glossy fur began to sprout on his skin.

I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter, I know you're used to much bigger word counts. There was just no other decent stopping point before the end.

Endings are bittersweet, I am happy to finally finish, but sad for it to be over.

Let me know your thoughts, xoxo

tiffywa~